Tavaris Marvidis Johnson, a 43-year-old resident of Tampa, has been indicted on charges related to the attempted production and receipt of child sexual abuse material, as well as the transfer of obscene material to a minor. If convicted on all counts, Johnson could face up to 60 years in federal prison. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
The indictment states that between August 2 and August 9, 2025, Johnson allegedly tried to use, persuade, and induce a minor to participate in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating visual depictions of that conduct. It also alleges that during this period, he knowingly attempted to receive material depicting the sexual abuse of a minor. Additionally, between August 8 and August 9, 2025, Johnson is accused of transferring obscene material to someone he knew was under the age of 16.
Authorities emphasized that an indictment is only a formal charge and does not imply guilt; every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The investigation involved both the FBI and the Tampa Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry will prosecute the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse across the United States by coordinating resources from federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
